The present disclosure relates to sheet feed apparatuses that feed sheets, and document conveying apparatuses and image forming apparatuses that have the sheet feed apparatuses.
To date, devices that feed sheets one by one from sheet stacking portions to sheet conveying paths have been known as sheet feed devices that feed sheets. The sheet feed device includes a sheet feed roller and a separation pad. The sheet feed roller is driven to rotate, thereby feeding a sheet in a sheet conveying direction. The separation pad contacts with the sheet feed roller, to form a nip portion between the separation pad and a circumferential surface of the sheet feed roller.
A sheet enters the nip portion between the sheet feed roller and the separation pad, and is fed by rotation of the sheet feed roller. A member having a high coefficient of friction is used for the separation pad so as to prevent (simultaneous) feeding of sheets other than an uppermost sheet among the stacked sheets.
In the conventional sheet feed device, a flexible film member having a guiding function is disposed such that, when a sheet enters the nip portion, hitting of a leading end of the sheet against the separation pad is prevented to avoid bending of the sheet. The sheet is conveyed along the film member to enter the nip portion. In this case, the number of components of the sheet feed device is increased by the film member being disposed, thereby increasing cost for the sheet feed device. Further, an operation for mounting the film member to the sheet feed device is necessary for assembling the sheet feed device.